Part 1 of the 12 Week Marathon training program of Leanne Pompeani Week 1-6

Coaching Leanne's First Marathon: The Road to Nagoya

You only get one first marathon. And I always had a feeling that when Leanne finally decided to run one, it would be something special.

She had already proven herself on the cross country course, the track, and the road. A marathon felt like a natural progression. The big question was always when — and which one.

In December, she told me Nagoya was interested in having her on the start line. She locked it in with her manager, James Templeton, and we got to work. Now the challenge was mine: to prepare her through a hot Australian summer and arrive on the start line healthy, confident, and ready to race.

The Two Big Challenges

1. Training through a brutal Canberra summerThis was one of the hottest summers we've had. High mileage and intensity in those conditions takes careful planning — and a tough athlete.

2. Getting to the start line healthyNo matter how talented an athlete is, there’s no payoff if they don’t arrive in one piece. We had to walk that fine line between training hard and staying resilient.

Weeks 1–6: Building the Engine

Here’s an inside look at the first half of her 12-week block. It wasn’t perfect — no training block is — but it laid a strong foundation.

Week 1

• Mon: 30k (Zatopek recovery Sunday)

• Tue: AM 16k / PM 8k

• Wed: AM 10k / PM 10k

• Thu: 3x3k + 3x1500 + 2x1k (brutal heat)

• Fri: AM 8k / PM 8k

• Sat: 20k progression + PM 9.5k

• Sun: 30k

Week 2

• Tue session: 3k threshold + 2x8x200hill + 8k cooldown

• Fri session: 3x10min + 3x5min + 3x3min (floats: 3min/2min)

• Sun: 35k with last 10k push

• Christmas Day? Still got in a double.

Week 3 (Altitude)

• 3xSessions: 1st 2k threshold + 12x400 /2nd 7x2k / 3rd 10x1k

• Sun: 30k with final 10k push

• Strong block — no days off.

Week 4 (Altitude)

• Tough session cut short due to a heart rate spike. We managed it and moved on.

• Big session: 4x15min w/5min float back in Canberra

• Sun: 35k

Week 5 (Last week at Altitude at Perisher)

• Sessions started getting long and layered: 1st session2k threshold + 2x5x400 + 15min tempo 2nd session 7x2k on Thursday 1600m + 10x1k on Saturday

• Sun: 34k

Week 6

• First double session day: AM: 6x1500mPM: 15x400m (in the heat)

• Friday: 4x5k with 1k float (23k total)

• Sun: 37k

The Midpoint Reflection

By the end of Week 6, I felt like we were on track — despite some rough weather and a few sessions that didn’t go as planned.

Leanne had expert nutrition advice behind her, was recovering well, and hitting big volumes consistently. Still, one thing was missing:

There hadn’t yet been a workout that gave her confidence.

That’s tough on an athlete. You want sessions to start feeling manageable as fitness builds — but with the heat and the volume she loves to handle, fatigue was real.

Coaching Shift: The Next Six Weeks

With six weeks to go, the mission changed. We didn’t need more fitness. We needed to freshen up, lock in belief, and get her excited to race.

That’s one of the harder parts of coaching: knowing when to stop pushing and start refining.

Next Time…

In Part Two, I’ll break down the final six weeks of her prep: the taper, the key confidence sessions, and how we arrived on the start line in Nagoya.

Final Thoughts

Coaching someone through their first marathon is a privilege. Coaching someone like Leanne — talented, disciplined, and willing to suffer for the work — is a rare kind of gift. This block wasn’t just about getting fit. It was about handling pressure, managing expectations, and navigating doubt in the heat of summer.

If you're a coach, athlete, or marathon fan — I hope this gave you a look under the hood.